Going Green - Wild Camping At Groenrivier
Our driving times have changed since aquiring the Honey Badger and especially since retirement. The journey starts when the key goes into the ignition. No longer do we rush to get to our destination instead we enjoy every moment of the roadtrip. In doing so we have become more aware of...
Two Nights In Strandfontein A Reflection
I’ve been to Strandfontein twice before and enjoyed myself thoroughly on both occasions. Once with dear friends from the UK who were our frequent travelling companions during the summer months when they were Swallows to our shores. On the last trip, we wild-camped for a night in the picnic area...
Camping in St Helena Bay And Beyond
The drive to Paternoster along the dirt road maintained by Spoor Net is a dream, we always take it. This time there was a hold-up with works going on which meant we had to return to the tar road, but eventually we made it back onto gravel. It is the more scenic route. Paternoster is...
The Burst Geyser A Tale Of Woe Not Wow!
Every morning Butch spoils me with a mug of freshly brewed coffee and one rusk, which I relish and enjoy in bed while I complete my daily Woodoku. There’s an App; look for it. Woodoku is better than any word game. Addictive and good for the brain, the advertisement said. I get up when I’ve done...
Langebaan – Greece On The West Coast - Leentjiesklip
It’s hard to believe that we’ve only visited Langebaan on a few occasions, and the last time was decades ago with a friend who had a timeshare unit. With very little knowledge, Langebaan never featured on my bucket list. There’s no specific reason we always skipped it on our numerous west...
Adios Amigos, Bon voyage, Goodbye, Sala Kkuhle, Totsiens, Tata, Laat Waai Meraai The ABF
At last, we had our ducks in a row, settled accounts, repaired, fixed, maintained and reassured ourselves that we were ready to roll. All we had to do was pick up our Honey Badger, sell my car and say goodbye. The first person on my list of goodbyes was a visit to my great friend...
FAQ – Answering All Your Frequently Asked Questions
We are chatterboxes, as you know, and every time someone stops for a natter, we often answer many of the same questions, especially from folks planning or in the throws of a build. Because we’re en route with very little data and wifi connectivity, we thought we’d answer the FAQ in a blog. ...
Cape Town Capers – Making The Most Of The Mother Of All Cities
The only people who suffer due to negativity, boredom, frustration or resentment are the sufferers themselves. It is, therefore, not worth the space it takes up in our minds or emotions. Here we were in the City, rated amongst the world’s top ten. We were going to squeeze every drop of juice out...
Our Authentic Travel – Three Anchor Bay Stay
Family and fish go off after three days. This mantra is so ingrained in me that being a house guest for an extended period does not sit well. We had hardly dragged our suitcases, bags and bits and bobs up the flight of stairs in Green Point that Butch and I decided we needed our own space....
The Nitty Gritty Of Getting The Ball Rolling.
In life, taking the first step is possibly the hardest; that fact was evident this weekend as I watched my Granddaughter Miss Maeva take her first wobbly steps and reluctantly let go of her dad’s fingers. She’s been crawling for months, and we all expected her to bounce up onto the soft,...
The Right Side Of The Tracks - Wild Camping
If I could have my life all over again, one of the career choices I’d consider would be to become a train engine driver. I love trains in any shape or form. As a child, one of the highlights would be my journeys to and from boarding school by steam train. The clickety-clack would lull me to...
The Old And The Nieu Bethesda
Visiting Nieu Bethesda is like visiting a favourite Grandmother. You know their smells, their curves, the colour of their curls. Her soothing voice is constant. Reliable, patient, and her devotion is unconditional. We’ve introduced our friends, shared experiences at dinner parties, and...
Butch’s Request
Hi faithful readers, followers of my blogs or first timers. We need to pick your well travelled, adventurous brains. We are getting excited about our adventure into Africa, which we hope will commence in the next few weeks. One of the things we have picked up in reading various blogs by...
Wild Camping At KaKhulu Karoo
Like everyone else, I love a riddle, or a lekker ou skinder, but this visit left me with more questions than answers. The ninety-minute drive from Graaff Reinet on the Janzenville road was lovely, with breathtaking views of a rugged Karoo landscape carpeted in deep orange. Aloes were in...
Winter Wandering Into The Great Karoo
We picked up sticks and turned our nose northeast to Graaff Reinet. To celebrate the 4th of July, we stopped for tea and cake at Sophie’s Choice, a fascinating coffee shop just south of Willowmore. Quirky is the only word to describe this worthwhile stopover. No one can resist exploring...
Tying The Knot - An Elopement
We did it! With only my brother Percy and Sue, my sister-in-law, in attendance Butch and I tied the knot. As we say in Afrikaans, “ons het die knoop deurgehaak!” The decision to take this bold step was made last week. Butch called on our old friend, a retired but refired minister and...
Whether we can, Weather we can’t!
Our little holiday depended on weather conditions. Where are the days when we could determine weather conditions by experiencing the day, e.g.putting your head out the door, or feeling inclement weather in your bones,watching a mountaintop being covered by a cloudy cloth used to be a good...
Life After The Great Trek
Our gut is our best indicator of all things good and dire. We have been incredibly fortunate on this journey as all the keys have fallen into place. For us a good indication that we’re on the right track. Anyway, that’s how I see it. This time the dealer is on our side. Exhausted after weeks...
An Impasse At The Crossroads
Honestly, where I’m going with this story is anyone’s guess. The fact that I’m running away from writing this blog is a testament to my current state of mind. Or is it that I might, unintentionally, open the proverbial can of worms? Let’s see. But let me start at the very beginning....
Our Honey Badger Always Has The Last Word
As we all know, Honey Badgers do not take kindly to being ignored. They’re feisty, resilient and crafty. Only she knows why her nose twitched out of joint. It could’ve been the Khoudom corrugations, tall trees, narrow roads, or a field mouse that might’ve done the trick. We’ll never know....
The Illusive Perlemoen And Where To Find It in Hermanus
If you grew up in South Africa and enjoyed your holidays in Hermanus or anywhere along our Southeastern/western coast, there would be three things you’d certainly do. You’d go fishing, diving or spend time on the beach. If you’d asked my Great Grandmother what her favourite memories of...
Keeping The Best for Last – Shametu River Lodge and Spa.
Camping on the Kavango River We were nearing the end of our holiday when we decided to spoil ourselves and indulge in a few days of Glamping. Yes, we were going Glamping! We'd laze at the poolside, bird watch, Loeries were building a nest in a palm tree on the deck overlooking the river...
Yzerfontein Revisited - A Celebration Of Our Freedom
We’ve benefited from a month of short weeks and long weekends. According to someone who has limited holiday time, if a worker took their leave on the 14th of April, they would use eight days of their annual leave, but they’d only clock back in at work on the 20th day after that on the 2nd of...
On A Personal Note – When A Spicy Curry Becomes Too Hot To Handle
Sometimes, during a journey, there comes a moment when one’s personal life gets in the way. Like a cloud bank before the sun, all the Kumbaya moments vapourise. Like a vrot kumquat, life sours bitterly. When you least expect it, the wind’s out of your sails, and you’re stuck rudderless in...
Rainbow River Lodge – Okavango River
Long holidays with many rendezvous, campsites and parks will eventually fill my mental melting pot into one large soup of sights, sounds and smells. My photographs serve to awaken my memory as I click through my albums distinguishing one campsite, experience or adventure from another. Spicing...
Travelling with Somebody. A Weekend in the Karoo - Kanniedood 4x4 Wild Camping
Two’s company and three’s a crowd. There are times when we have a very unwelcome guest in our midst. Her name is Somebody, and she’s the one that causes all the ructions. It’s almost impossible to pin her down, and she never owns up, apologises, or admits to being the culprit. Her shenanigans...
Wild Camping - Mudumu Campsite 3 - Second Time Lucky - The Caprivi adventure continues
It’s all very glamorous staying in beautifully appointed campsites with manicured lawns, five-star ablutions, and interesting restaurants. Even more so is gliding on a makorro and going for guided game drives. I'm not complaining. Still, we love doing our own thing. Besides, social...
Climbing the Skerpenheuwel To The Breede Otter Campsite -
When you’re a Grey Nomad, you’ll probably answer to Hodophile too, and we’re both. The Honey Badger stood forlorn, dusty and neglected in a barn behind a lock and chain, and she needed a weekend out, even if it's going loco on a road less travelled by us. My response to the Knight’s...
The Gondwana Collection - Getting Carried Away - A Handy Tip From Us
Doing your homework thoroughly before going on any trip is recommended; we all know that. We often have good intentions of following up on friends’ recommendations, advice, and experiences, but we rarely do when it comes to the crunch. The reasons are lack of time, procrastination, and the...
Calamity Jane Rides Again - Wild Camping While A Storm Brews
It is safe to say that life never runs as smoothly as we expect it should. While storm clouds were brewing, we went blissfully on our way, entirely unaware of our troubles simmering away. We left the leafy confines of Ngepi and made our way to a wild camping spot in the Mudumo National...
Island Style At Ngepi River Camp - Namibia
The marvellous advantage of writing or diarising is that Butch and I continually relive our adventures. Many of our conversations are rehashing and reimagining our trips which of course, inspire us to investigate future trips. I’ve just returned from an invigorating 27km bike ride, and I...
Casually Cruising The Khaudom National Park - North Eastern Namibia
Once again, we set off as early as possible. We had a big day ahead and knew the going wasn’t going to be easy. By all accounts, we were breaking all the rules. It’s suggested that one does the Khaudom in a convoy of at least two vehicles, preferably three. We have a Honey Badger, a Butch, and...
As Promised - Some Simple Summer Salads and A Crackling Good Pork Belly
OK. If I loathe one thing, it must be a promise made and not kept. I can remember Butch’s mom Bets’ disappointment when a lady at her bible study (nogal) PROMISED to visit and never did. She was profoundly hurt. The person who made the glib promise (as we so often do.. “Oh we must get...
Namibian Bank Holi-YAY And A Flat Battery
You may well ask, “how the Dickens do you two do it?” We don’t know, and honestly, we try our best to avoid misadventures. But, as I remind Butch, nobody is interested in a boring story, and everyone loves a liberal sprinkling of drama and tension. Our excitement intensified as...
Beating The Odds - Navigating Namibia Naturally
Thanks to Boris Johnson, who tried to win Browny points, South Africa was again back on the red list, banning all travel to and from our country. By the stroke of a pen, millions of travellers could unpack their suitcases, lock up their passports and go out and buy a Christmas tree they were...
Ba-Ba Banff
Our vision is always 20/20 in retrospect. When Boris closed the borders on us last week, I realised I had just made it to Canada and back in the nick of time. Window periods both ways. The way the world works now, we must grab opportunities when they present themselves without dithering....
Searching For The Perfect Brew(ery) - A Road Trip To Calgary
All work and no play is not a hard and fast rule with this crew. They’re inclined to lean towards the sentiment that it makes Joe dull and kills innovation, invention and inspiration, or to be boringly predictable, which is an anomaly coming from an accountant, especially one who’s co-parenting...
Surprise!
My telephone ping-pinged, and my wristwatch vibrated. A message from Joe, he’d completed another work-out, got a badge and wanted to rub my nose it in, I thought. At least I’d cycled, I applauded myself while rolling my eyes. He could be so irksome about my exercise regime. I took a sneak...
Lekkerwater Beach Lodge - Go With The Flow. Naturally.
In October, three things happened simultaneously; one was a belated birthday celebratory weekend away, and the other two were unexpected events I never dreamed possible. Like most surprises, my life turned topsy turvy overnight. I had three days to prepare for a weekend away, a cooking class,...
Being Gobsmacked By Beauty - Nieuwoudtville And Biedouw Valley
In the grand scheme of things, three OMG’s in one day aren’t that bad, but, you see, I’m not that sorta gal. But then again, I’m known to have a mouth on me. My expletives were utterly spontaneous, what my eyes saw my mouth exclaimed before my brain had caught up. My most vivid memory of...